Questions to Ask Before Moving Into an Apartment
Twenty questions for a landlord or leasing agent before you sign: what the true move-in cost is, which utilities you pay and what they run to, how the deposit works, how much rent has risen at renewal, who fixes things and how fast, and what you must do at move-out to get your money back.
The questions
Open any question for the note
What is the rent, and what is the total amount due before I get the keys?
Why ask it
First month, last month, deposit, pet fee, application fee, key and parking deposits can add up to several times the rent. Ask for one figure and the list behind it, because the advertised rent is rarely the number you need in the bank.
Which utilities are included, and what do the others cost here in winter and summer?
Why ask it
Ask for actual amounts from this building rather than an estimate. A single-glazed top floor unit with electric heat can cost more to run in January than the difference between two apartments' rent, and nobody volunteers that.
How much is the deposit, where is it held, and what would you deduct for?
Why ask it
In many places deposits must sit in a protected scheme and there are limits on what can be charged. Ask what counts as wear and tear versus damage, and get examples, because that distinction is where most deposits quietly disappear.
How much did the rent go up at renewal for current tenants over the last two years?
Why ask it
This is the question that predicts your second year. A landlord who can answer with numbers is usually the one who raises modestly; a vague answer or a refusal often precedes a large increase once you are settled and moving is expensive.
How long is the lease, and what are the terms if I need to leave early?
Why ask it
Ask specifically: notice period, break fee, whether you are liable until it is re-let, and whether subletting is permitted. Life changes inside a twelve-month term more often than people expect, and this clause decides what that costs.
Who manages the building, and how do I report a repair at ten on a Saturday night?
Why ask it
You want a named route: a number, a portal, an on-call contractor. If the answer is one person's mobile, ask what happens when they are on holiday, because a burst pipe does not wait for Monday.
What was the last repair in this unit, and how long did it take?
Why ask it
This turns a promise about responsiveness into a checkable fact. A landlord who can name the job and the timeline is telling you how they operate. Vagueness, or claiming nothing has needed fixing, is worth verifying with a current tenant.
How old is the heating and cooling equipment, and who services it?
Why ask it
Ageing equipment fails in the season you most need it, and repairs during a heatwave or cold snap take days. Ask when it was last serviced, since neglected systems also drive the running costs you will be paying.
Can I see the actual unit I would be renting?
Why ask it
Show apartments are often a different floor, layout or condition. If the specific unit is still occupied, ask to view it before signing rather than after, and note carefully how the landlord responds to a reasonable request.
Who lived here before, and why did they leave?
Why ask it
A tenant who left after two months, or several in a row, points at something: noise, damp, a neighbour, or a landlord who does not fix things. Landlords are not obliged to answer, but the way they handle the question is informative.
What is above, below and next to this unit?
Why ask it
A bar, a lift shaft, a laundry room, a family with a toddler, or a shared floor with no insulation all determine how the place feels at night. Visit again in the evening if you can and listen rather than ask.
What are the rules on guests, subletting, and someone moving in later?
Why ask it
Leases often cap consecutive guest nights and require approval to add an occupant. If a partner might join you, or you might travel and want to sublet, get the process now rather than discovering you have breached the lease.
What is the pet policy, including fees, weight limits and where animals can go?
Why ask it
Non-refundable pet fees, monthly pet rent and breed or weight restrictions vary widely, and a policy that permits pets "case by case" is worth pinning down in writing before you move an animal in.
Are there quiet hours, and how are noise complaints actually handled?
Why ask it
The useful part is the enforcement, not the rule. Ask what happened the last time there was a complaint. A building with a real process protects you both from neighbours and from being reported over ordinary living noise.
Is a parking space included, what does it cost, and where do guests park?
Why ask it
Permit schemes, assigned spaces and street restrictions differ by street, not by building. If parking is not included, price it before you compare rents, and check what the enforcement is like overnight.
What is the laundry situation, and where is it?
Why ask it
In-unit, in-basement, or two streets away changes your week substantially. If it is shared, ask how many machines serve how many apartments and how they are paid for, since a broken machine can mean a laundromat for a month.
Do you require renters insurance, and at what level of cover?
Why ask it
Many leases now require it and specify a liability minimum. It is usually inexpensive, but it is a cost, and knowing the required limits stops you buying a policy that does not satisfy the lease.
What do I need to apply: income proof, credit check, guarantor, fees?
Why ask it
Requirements decide whether you can apply at all and how fast. Ask what income multiple they use and whether a guarantor is accepted, so you are not paying a non-refundable application fee for a threshold you cannot meet.
What am I allowed to change, and what has to be restored?
Why ask it
Paint, shelves, a wall-mounted television and picture hooks are common sources of end-of-tenancy deductions. Get written permission for anything you plan, along with what returning it to original condition means in practice.
What is the move-out process, and what would I need to do to get the full deposit back?
Why ask it
Ask for the checklist now: notice period, professional cleaning, carpets, holes filled, inspection timing. Deposits are mostly lost to requirements tenants only learn about on the way out, when there is no time to comply.
Viewing, signing and protecting your deposit
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
At the viewing
Test what you cannot see from photos
Run the shower and a tap together to check the pressure, open and close every window, look under the sink and behind the toilet for stains, check the mobile signal in each room, and see whether the sockets are where furniture would go.
Go back at a different time of day
Evening tells you about noise, parking and lighting on the street. A second visit costs an hour and answers several of the questions on this list better than the landlord will.
Talk to someone who already lives there
A tenant in the hallway or by the bins will tell you about repairs, heating bills and the neighbours in thirty seconds. This is the most reliable reference available to you and it is free.
Read the lease for these specifically
- The rent review clause: when it can rise and whether there is any cap.
- Notice periods, break fees and whether you remain liable until re-letting.
- Which repairs are yours and which are the landlord's, including appliances that came with the flat.
- Access rights: how much notice the landlord must give before entering.
- Guest limits, subletting, adding an occupant, and any short-let ban.
- Cleaning and restoration requirements at the end of the term.
- Any clause that survives the tenancy, such as liability for utility accounts.
Protecting your deposit from day one
Document the place before you unpack
Photograph and film every room, including existing marks, appliance interiors and meter readings, with the date visible. Email the set to the landlord so there is a timestamped record neither side can dispute later.
Report faults in writing, always
Phone calls vanish. A short email for every fault, even small ones, builds a record that protects you both when a repair is slow and when you are blamed at the end for something that was already there.
Ask for the inspection checklist early
Requesting the move-out standards in month one, rather than in the last week, gives you time to meet them and to challenge anything unreasonable while you still have leverage.
Common mistakes
- Comparing rents without adding utilities, parking and any pet or amenity fees.
- Signing on the strength of a show unit rather than the one you will live in.
- Accepting verbal promises about repairs, painting or a rent freeze rather than an emailed confirmation.
- Paying a holding deposit before reading the lease terms on renewal and early exit.
- Skipping the move-in photographs, which is the single most expensive shortcut available to a tenant.